MORE NEWS, 3-5 (EFFICIENT CITIES; THE BEST PARTS OF WIND; EU ETS OK; NEW ENERGY NEEDS WIRES)

EFFICIENT CITIES
L.A., San Francisco, Houston are stars of energy efficiency
Elizabeth Weise, March 3, 2009 (USA Today)

"Los Angeles… Houston…[and] San Francisco…are the U.S. cities that have the highest number of energy-efficient commercial buildings, says the Environmental Protection Agency.

"Each building — there are 6,205 of them nationwide — earned the EPA's Energy Star rating. They typically use 35% less energy and emit 35% less heat-trapping "greenhouse" gases than average buildings, said EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson."

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"Energy Star buildings cost on average about 50 cents less per square foot to operate than average buildings, says Maura Beard of the Energy Star Buildings Program.

"There are "phenomenal" savings opportunities in older buildings, says Robert Keller, energy director for JC Penney, which has 52 Energy Star certified buildings. Replacing old heating and cooling systems has saved up to 30% in energy costs a year in some buildings…Swapping inefficient fluorescent lights with modern ones 'saves millions in kilowatt hours.'"

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"The EPA program increased dramatically last year, certifying 3,300 buildings, up 130% from 2007…They saved more than $1.1 billion in energy costs and cut 7 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2008…"


THE BEST PARTS OF WIND
Top wind-turbine firms: U.S. parts makers needed; Good news comes at Cobo conference
Katherine Yung, March 4, 2009 (Detroit Free Press)

"Some of the world's biggest wind-turbine companies told Michigan manufacturers some good news…They still need more U.S. parts makers…[S]everal leading turbine manufacturers such as Vestas, Nordex AG and Siemens AG…at the Michigan Wind Energy Conference at Cobo Center…[said they] are still moving forward with plans to build their own U.S. supply chains…[and establish] U.S. assembly factories because they expect Americans' demand for wind energy to soar in coming years…

"Vestas, the world's leading turbine maker, wants to obtain all the parts that go into its U.S.-built turbines from U.S. suppliers…Vestas plans to launch four factories in Colorado this year to assemble blades, towers and nacelles -- key parts of a turbine…[J]ust as in the auto industry, some turbine companies like Nordex are looking for U.S. companies to serve their top tier one suppliers, most of whom are European firms."

"Though Michigan still lacks a large turbine manufacturing plant, it's home to a large number of manufacturing companies eager to make wind-turbine parts…NextEnergy, a nonprofit organization in Detroit working to advance the state's alternative energy industry, estimates that 35 of the state's manufacturers are supplying parts or services to the wind industry. That number is expected to jump dramatically, and NextEnergy has been arranging private meetings…

"This year, tight credit conditions and low oil prices are threatening the wind industry's growth. But the Obama administration's focus on renewable energy and the new economic-stimulus plan are expected to increase the number of wind-energy projects…"


EU ETS OK
EU Emissions Trading Scheme not hurt by low prices, yet
Nina Chestney (w/William Hardy), March 4, 2009 (Thomson Reuters)

"Falling carbon prices have raised questions about the credibility of the European Union's flagship trading scheme…But traders and analysts insist the scheme is working as a market mechanism should…

"Since 2005, the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme has imposed a cap on carbon emissions from factories and power plants…Since the economic slowdown, cash-strapped firms have been selling their permits to raise funds, causing prices to hit a low of 8.05 euros ($10.18) in February from nearly 31 euros last July."

The emissions market "Big Board." (click to enlarge)

"The scheme was designed to cap emissions, which it is achieving. As industrial output declines due to the recession, there are less emissions which means companies have less demand for permits…Some market experts say the fall in prices is a natural reaction to the recession and shows the scheme is working… If the scheme has shown it has worked in recession, it should also work when the economy recovers…

"The EU ETS has three trading cycles running to 2020. The first phase saw prices collapse to near zero after the EU gave out too many permits. Recent low prices have arisen from the recession and companies raising cash…The third phase, which runs from 2013-2020 is seen as the cycle in which these distortions will be put right…[I]t is hoped that they are forming investment decisions based on the future price of carbon…

"The EU ETS was not designed to deliver a 20 percent cut in European emissions by 2020 on its own, experts point out. Other policies are needed to complement it, such as energy efficiency strategies, renewable energy subsidies and carbon capture and storage…If prices fell to 5 or 6 euros for a sustained period of time in the lead up to important climate change talks in Copenhagen in December, the scheme could risk being damaged, however… "


NEW ENERGY NEEDS WIRES
AWEA Statement On NERC, FERC Focus on Integrating Renewables
Julie Clendenin and Christine Real de Azua, March 2, 2009 (American Wind Energy Association)

"American Wind Energy Association Policy Director Rob Gramlich today released the following statement:

"'The U.S. wind energy industry applauds the significant new focus by the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) on the need to modernize America’s electricity transmission system to adapt to renewable resource development. FERC is holding an all-day conference today on integrating renewable energy into the grid. (FERC regulates NERC and most U.S. transmission owners to ensure non-discriminatory access for all transmission customers including renewable resources.)

"'NERC’s CEO Rick Sergel spoke at the conference and issued a press release strongly advocating that the electric industry take action to make needed reforms. NERC is the international reliability standards setting and enforcement body. Sergel announced that later this month NERC will release a detailed report on integrating renewable (and other ’variable ’) resources into the electric grid. AWEA applauds this report and the effort by NERC to focus on the changes that will be required to meet the electricity demands of the 21st Century economy.'"

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"'Proposed wind projects totaling more than 200,000 megawatts in capacity—enough to power the equivalent of more than one-third of all the homes in America—have applied for connection to the U.S. electric transmission system. We urgently need to build the green transmission superhighway that will allow those projects to deliver the clean electricity they generate to America’s cities.

"'We also very much appreciate Chairman Sergel’s positive remarks about the use of demand response and plug-in hybrid vehicles as major elements of a future electric utility system that can accommodate large amounts of electricity from variable generation sources like wind and solar power.'"